This is a case control study of patients with incident ischemic stroke admitted to a community hospital which has a racially diverse patient population. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether lipoprotein (a) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke in both African American as well as white populations. Secondary aims are to study potential interactions of lipoprotein (a) with other risk factors, sub- types of ischemic stroke and distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis. At the present time, the study has enrolled 73 subjects and 40 controls. We plan to continue enrolling patients to our target of 100 patients and 100 controls. After preliminary analysis of this data, we hope to apply for funding to examine lipoprotein (a) polymorphisms in stored blood samples.